Smoked Brisket on a Kamado Style Charcoal Grill

!±8± Smoked Brisket on a Kamado Style Charcoal Grill

Watch more recipe videos here! www.bbqguys.com Chef Tony of BBQGuys.com shows you step by step how to prepare and smoke a large beef brisket on a Kamado Style Charcoal grill and smoker. Be sure to visit BBQGuys.com for all your BBQ and Outdoor Kitchen needs! Ingredients: Wood: 3-4 cups (I used cherry 1 1/2cups & Hickory 2cups) Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 1/4 Cups Rosemary (dry) - 1 TBL Garlic Powder - 2 TBL Turbinado Sugar - 2 TBL Chili Powder - 2 TBL Paprika - 2 TBL Cayenne Pepper - 2 TBL Celery Seed - 2 tsp Oregano (dry) - 1 TBL Thyme (dry) - 1 TBL Kosher Salt - 2 TBL Black Pepper (cracked) - 2 TBL If Spraying: Apple Cider - 1/2 Cups Apple Cider Vinegar - 1/2 Cups After trimming your briskets fat layer down to about 1/4 inch and removing any large membranes or "silverskin", rub generously with olive oil and rub in your spice blend with the backs of your hands (this is more fun than it sounds). Next double wrap your brisket tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, but preferably over night. While waiting, soak your wood chips and set up your grill or smoker for indirect cooking. When ready, remove brisket from refrigerator and place straight on a 225F degree grill, fat side down. If spraying your brisket, blend the apple cider and apple cider vinegar in a spray bottle and spritz every 2-3 hours. Your brisket will take between 1 1/4 -2 hours per pound, depending on many different factors. With that said, insert an internal temperature ...

Smoked Brisket on a Kamado Style Charcoal Grill

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Get a Feel For Making Homemade Chili From Scratch

!±8± Get a Feel For Making Homemade Chili From Scratch

This is not really a Texas chili recipe, but an overview of how to make this Texas original. There are no set number of cups of this or teaspoons of that. This guide to making chili is to help you get a feel for how this dish is made, and then go from there and design your own pot of delicious chili.

In your favorite large pot (preferably cast iron), throw in some meat. Remember that chili is a meat dish, and not a stew or soup, so meat should be plentiful. It is usually beef, but some people love venison, pork, chicken, or even rattlesnake in their chili.

Most chili cooks use cheaper cuts of meat, since it benefits from slow cooking. Cut the meat into about 1/2 inch cubes, or have your butcher grind it coarsely. Never use hamburger meat, as it can become mushy. You want texture in your chili.

Brown the meat in a large cast-iron pot (preferred over anything else). Drain off any excess fat.

The chile is where your chili will get its flare, so the right chile powder is crucial. To make authentic chili, grind up your own dried ancho and/or New Mexican chile pods. If desired, do the same with pequin, cayenne, or any other hot chile pepper if you like more heat.

The pros usually toast the chile pods in a skillet or in the oven. You are welcome to use packaged chile powder, which contains chile powder and other seasonings. Just understand that your chili will not be as flavorful.

The meat and chile powder simmer, with a liquid, salt (to taste) and black pepper (to taste) in the large pot. The liquid is up to you. Some like to use just water, while others prefer beef stock or beer. Others even use black coffee as their liquid of choice. The main thing is to be careful with how much liquid you use, so the chili does not become runny.

After simmering for a couple of hours or more, if the chili is still runny, you can thicken it with masa harina, or corn flour. Some people add this just because they like the extra flavor and texture it adds to chili.

Add spices throughout the simmering process to create "layers" of flavor. The main spices to use are garlic, cumin, and oregano.

Original chili cooks never added onions or tomatoes, but they are common today. If using onions, mince the onion in very small pieces. If you want to use tomatoes, think about leaving Texas and cook your chili elsewhere.

To make real Texas chile, never add beans to your chili. The preferred way is to serve beans on the side, where you can add them to your bowl of chili, if you want. There is probably a law in Texas that addresses putting beans in the pot of chili.

A good (and not so good) cook can make a great pot of Texas chili from these guidelines. Just taste the chili regularly, and add the spices to taste along the way. All great champion chili recipes started this way, using no strict rules, and using common sense and taste.

Get a Feel For Making Homemade Chili From Scratch

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Economic Hard Times Launched Early Wagon Trains

!±8± Economic Hard Times Launched Early Wagon Trains

The earliest wagon trains of settlers headed into the Old West beginning in the early 1840s. That was no accident: It was a response to the realities of economic hard times that hurt nearly every American in the East and Midwest following an economic "panic" and ongoing depression in the mid- to late-1830s. Most of those settlers were staking all they had on the hope of finding new land, new lives, and happy times in the California and Oregon Territories.

Like most pioneers and adventurers, those settlers were willing to take risks as they looked at fulfilling their dreams -- most of them based on hope and false reports about life in the Territories. Few who went West prior to the 1840s returned to spread those tales of utopia; most tall tales of lands flowing with near biblical milk and honey were spread by those eager to sell claims to gold and fertile farm land they never owned. Other entrepreneurs were more than happy to sell wagons, bedding, food supplies, tools, and all the other outfitting the Westerners would need for the arduous journey.

According to a fascinating collection of excerpts from diaries kept by wives and mothers who made the westward trip ("Women's Diaries of the Westward Journey" by historian Lillian Schlissel) the first wagon trains headed west from departure points in Missouri in 1841. Something like 100 people migrated to the California or Oregon Territories that year. By end of 1866, according to the same source, about 350,000 men, women, and children had made the trip. This despite the social and economic upheaval of the Civil War from 1860-65.

A popular book of the mid-1840s suggested what sort of provisions each person should take along for a wagon trip over the western trails and to the Territories. Besides the clothes, furnishings, tools, and other dry goods western emigrants took along, that book recommended the following food supplies per person: 200 pounds of flour, 150 pounds of bacon, 10 pounds of coffee, 20 pounds of sugar, and 10 pounds of salt. Such supplies as chipped beef, rice, tea, dried beans, dried fruit, baking soda, vinegar, pickles, and tallow also were recommended, though no amounts suggested.

So exactly what might have pushed these pioneers to abandon the security of life in the Eastern cities, or sometimes newly settled towns and farms in the Midwest?

The 1837 "panic" or depression left much of the U.S. economy in shambles. By 1839, wages had fallen 30 to 50 percent from what they were in pre-depression days only a few years earlier. That same year, 20,000 out of work laborers demonstrated in Philadelphia and 200,000 workers in New York City were unemployed and seeking ways to provide for the winter.

Did those who took the radical step of westward emigration solve their problems and find success? Some of them did, some of them didn't. In many cases, history records disease and ill planning left small groups and large wagon trains of settlers decimated. It was said that prominent river crossings along the Oregon Trail were often littered with abandoned furniture, silverware, pianos, and many other household goods left behind because the desperate folks in their western trek had to choose between their goods and their lives.

Some of those who survived the journey were left bitter and disillusioned when they got to California or Oregon Territory. Others eventually turned back. A few found land and settled down to raise their families and form the communities that became the basis of all of our Western states today.

Economic Hard Times Launched Early Wagon Trains

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!±8± Sliced Dried Beef

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Sliced Dried Beef

• Main ingredient for creamed chipped beef on toast
• Three recipes printed in package
• Convenient 3oz packages
• Can be stored in freezer till needed
• Shipped via UPS express

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Sliced Dried Beef

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From 274 Pounds to ULTRA Runner in Less Than 2 Years

!±8± From 274 Pounds to ULTRA Runner in Less Than 2 Years

Bluemont, Virginia's Susan Jennings, 48, recently transformed herself from seriously overweight to ULTRAFit. In less than two years she lost 135 pounds or almost half her body weight and ran her first ultradistance race - a 50K (31 miles). Her inspiring story is revealed in this interview with author Ed Mayhew.

Ed: Susan, you recently traded being seriously overweight for some serious running. In May, for example, you ran 64 miles in a 24-hour race. Were you always overweight? What led to your reaching 274 pounds?  

Susan: In my younger days, I was always on the edge of being overweight. As long as I stayed active, I was okay, but I seemed to constantly be on a diet, each time having to lose a little more to get to my goal weight. After I got married, I wasn't as active and the weight starting creeping up. It didn't help that my thin husband could eat anything he wanted! The weight really became an issue after the birth of my daughter. It was then that I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Medicine stabilized the blood levels, but I never felt right after that. With raising a child and a long commute to work each day, exercise became less and less, and I continued to gain. Food became the tool I used to combat fatigue and stress. It was my friend and my enemy. I felt so out of control. 

Ed: What ways had you tried to lose the weight over the years and what finally worked for you? 

Susan: I think I have tried every diet on the planet! The list is extensive: the Lemonade Cleansing Fast, the Hallelujah Diet, Nutrisystem, Physicians Weight Loss, South Beach Diet, Atkins, Pritikin, etc. I have spent thousands of dollars on programs, meals, and supplements trying to find the magic formula. Most diets worked for a while. But after a while, I would stop losing. Some were just too hard to follow. Others just stopped working. I couldn't figure it out. How could I lose 30 or 40 pounds and then plateau or start to gain without changing anything that I was doing? In frustration, I would quit because it didn't seem to matter, and quickly gain the weight back. My health issues got worse. I snored when I slept, and would often wake up with my heart racing. Sometimes in the evening, I just felt so bad. I remember looking into the mirror one morning and stared at the blotchy face looking back at me. "I don't know who you are, "I said, and began to cry. I had to keep trying. I read of a connection with gluten sensitivity and hypothyroidism so I decided to give up wheat for one week. In three days, my snoring stopped. In one week, I lost 10 pounds. It was the motivation I needed to try to lose one more time. I decided to go back to Weight Watchers because I knew I needed accountability, and a structured program to deal with the other reasons I ate. Then I did one thing I had never done before. I took several "before" pictures. I had decided that this was it, last chance. At my first meeting on May 31, 2007, the leader was talking about excuses we make for why we gain weight, including "it's my thyroid." I raised my hand and said, "Well, I have hypothyroidism, but I'm not going to use it as an excuse any longer." That became my mantra - no excuses. If I was tired, I still got up and exercised. If I was stressed, that wasn't an excuse for eating. So the combination of a gluten free diet, Weight Watchers, and exercise is what finally worked. 

Ed: How did you go from being overweight with significant health issues to being an Ultra Runner? 

Susan: It's funny, because I had always joked about my efficient metabolism and how I was designed to be a long distance runner. But that was the furthest thing from my mind at the time. I just wanted to be able to walk a mile or two. We live on the mountain and I felt uncomfortable on our curvy roads. Then, after I had experienced a few rude comments yelled from passing vehicles, my husband suggested I hike on the Appalachian Trail, which is a stone's throw from our house. He even bought me some trekking poles. The only problem was that the section we live near is called the "Roller Coaster," a series of 400-600 ft rocky climbs and descents. The first day I made it about a fourth of the way up the ridge before I quit and went home. But I got up the next morning and went back out. Soon my half hour hikes turned into one hour hikes, and then two hour hikes. At other times, while my daughter was dancing, I would walk around the 2 mile loop in Berryville. There, I would see runners. One woman particularly interested me. She was older, and she wasn't really fast, but she was faithfully running every time I went to the park. I thought that if she could run, why couldn't I. By this time, I had lost about 75 lbs. So I would run a few feet, and then walk again. This progressed to running all the downhill sections, then all the flat sections, and finally I pushed up those "big" hills at the park. I especially enjoyed "running" on the trails. The day I left my trekking poles at home was the day I became a real trail runner. After a couple of months of this, I got a crazy notion in my head that I wanted to run a trail race. I found a half-marathon that was at the end of September (2008). I had about 4 months to train for it, and about 30 more pounds to lose. My two hour hikes now became two hour trail runs. Fearfully, I toed the line for that race. I wasn't even sure I could go the distance and was sure I would finish in last place. But once on the trails, I found my rhythm. The last three miles is when I experienced the runners high. I was flying down the mountain, letting gravity take me and crossed the finish line 19th out of 56 runners. Later that day, I broke down and sobbed. I felt like the butterfly who, after years of being trapped in a cocoon of fat and self-doubt, had been set free to fly. If I could lose 135 pounds, train for, and run a half marathon in a year and a half, then what else could I do? I wasn't through pushing my limits and so I signed up for my first ultra - an 8 hour trail run in February. On my two year anniversary(in May) of walking into a Weight Watchers meeting, I celebrated by running 49 miles in a 10 hour endurance run.   

Ed: Can you give us an example of one of your more difficult workouts/runs? 

Susan: I try not to take myself too seriously, so I make the challenging runs fun. For instance, I have a run called Woman vs. Mountain. I start at the bottom of a mountain road that climbs in 2 ½ miles about 1000 ft, with 9% grades in parts. If I don't walk at all, then I win. If I have to walk then the mountain wins. Of course, the fun thing is to run back down the mountain and do it again, trying to better your time on the second go round. Or I make a race course. I have a 20k that starts on the Roller Coaster, climbs 4 ridges for the first 10k, then sprints down the mountain on the shoulder of Route 7; the last 10k is on a hilly mountain road, and ends with a section of "Woman vs. Mountain."   

Ed: How did you learn so quickly about how to survive and thrive doing ultra-distance runs and races? 

Susan: I'm still learning! I've read everything I can find on training for an ultra. It's interesting that most formal training programs only go up to the marathon distance. So the wisdom comes from other ultra runners who blog and post online how they trained for certain races. I try to follow the standard running advice and then adapt it for longer distances. I also learn from my mistakes. In my 24 hour run, I had my family there and they set up an area for me that I could go to at the end of each 8 mile loop. The problem was, I was taking too long to get back on the trail. I wouldn't be surprised if I didn't lose over 2 hours of running time, relaxing between loops. In my 10 hour run which was on a horse track, I was feeling good, started out too fast, and didn't drink enough at the beginning. I got leg cramps around mile 16 and had them the rest of the night. It really slowed me down. I think I could have done over 50 miles without them. But that's how you learn.   

Ed: What is your eating/diet like from day to day now compared with what it was like before?  

Susan: Probably the biggest difference in meal times is being gluten-free and learning to control portions. We haven't gone out for pizza in over 2 years. In fact, our eating out has greatly diminished, mainly because it's too hard to make sure the meals don't have gluten in them. One area where I struggled with before was the in between meal times. The quick and easy pick me up is a candy bar, or a bag of chips or a coke. Now I try to pack fruit and veggies for my snacks, and if I run out, I just tell myself that I won't starve if I don't eat before supper time. It's silly to think that we have to put something in our mouth every time we get a little hungry. But I still struggle with and give in to cravings. I'm a confessed chocolaholic. The key for me is tracking every meal. I still use the Weight Watcher's point system. Some people wonder what you eat, if you can't have wheat. I made it a point not to substitute with gluten-free bread, cookies, etc. but rather to fill the "bread" spot with brown rice, quinoa, potato or other whole grain. Fish, turkey, lean beef and vegetarian dishes make up the bulk of our entrees. Salads are also a mainstay of the diet. When I come in from a workout, I make a smoothie with frozen fruit and a hemp protein mix. I try to find protein powders that have lots of vitamins and minerals that help with recovery. 

Ed: What do you eat and drink to stay hydrated and keep your glycogen levels up during long runs? 

Susan: Training runs are for experimenting with food and drink. I have tried everything from gels, to clif blocks, to trail mix and dried fruit. On my long trail runs without access to water, I fill a hydration bladder, and wear a mule pack. It also holds several emergency items. On my last 36.5 mile training run, I used the first aid kit, the emergency rain poncho, the parachute chord, and the knife. So while I complain about the 10 lbs I carry on my back, those things came in handy! For that run I ate a combination of gels and bars, and put an electrolyte solution in my water. I will also carry a source of protein if I'm going to be out all day - protein bars, cheese, or chipped beef (extra sodium). My last shorter run of 20 miles, I only had a couple of gels and still felt fine. During 24 hour races, anything goes. Whatever keeps you moving and that includes chocolate and soda!   

Ed: What goes through your mind during hard workouts and races? Are there any mental techniques you use to keep running when your exhausted and your body wants to quit? What do you mentally tell yourself when the going gets tough? 

Susan: I consider every run an adventure and I look forward to retelling my tales of getting locked into Skyline Drive at night, or screaming at a bobcat, or running with a herd of cattle (this morning's run) to my friends and fellow runners. So if I come home after running in single digit weather with icicles in my hair, or blood running down my leg from a fall, it's another story to tell. Because of this I've been dubbed the "Warrior Princess." So if I feel like quitting when the going gets tough I say, "I can't quit, I'm the Warrior Princess!" During the ultras, the motto is "keep moving forward." As long as you're moving forward, no matter how slow, you're making progress. I try to focus on form. I have a mental checklist - posture, arms, foot strike, etc. that I go through. And since faith is such a big part of who I am, I quote scripture "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," or "I am strong in the Lord and in the power of his might." There is a Drill Sergeant who "lives" in my head and barks out orders during my runs. "Get a move on it, you wimp!" she yells. "My grandmother can run faster than that!" And when all else fails, I sing my favorite hymn "It is Well with My Sole." (Just kidding).  

Ed: Is there a religious or spiritual component to your trading in your knife and fork for running shoes? 

Susan: My faith is the foundation of my life. I prayed for years that the Lord would help me lose weight. In retrospect, the struggles I faced have allowed me to help others. So God answered my prayer, just not in my time, but in His. I prayed everyday that I would be strong, not give into temptation, and that my journey could be an inspiration to others and a testimony to God's faithfulness. I believe that I have been transformed from the inside out. Mentally, I was in a bad place, so self conscious and negative, struggling with who I was, and wondering what I was meant to do on this earth. Now, I run for Christ, for the spiritual rebirth He gave me and the strength that comes from knowing Him.    

Ed: What would you like folks who are struggling with their weight to know?  

Susan: Here are a few things I learned in this journey:

1) Don't quit, don't ever give up. Keep trying different things and eventually it will happen.

2) Believe in yourself and your ability to lose weight. Actions follow belief. If you believe you can, you will.

3) Don't be afraid to ask for help. For me, help came through a structured program, through friends and family, and through my faith.

4) Don't try to climb the mountain in one day. Take little steps, make small changes. Little steps add up to big results.

5) Take joy in the journey. This is a lifestyle, not a quick fix. Live life to the fullest - carpe diem - seize the day.

These things, by the way, apply to all areas of our life, not just losing weight. 

Ed: What's next?

Susan: I decided that since I skipped the marathon and went on to the ultras, I should go back and run one. So the Marine Corps Marathon is on the schedule for late October. I also have the JFK 50 in November, a 12 hr run in September, and a trail 50 miler in early October. From these I hope to be ready for the next test - the Umstead 100 miler in March. I keep pressing on, the journey never ends, just changes courses every now and then. 

Ed: Susan, is there anything we haven't covered that you would like to say to our readers?  

Susan: Most limits we place on ourselves are our limits. We have the potential to do much more than we think. When someone says they could never run a marathon, I reply "Yes, you could, if you were willing to put the time and energy into training for it."  I wrote the following in my training blog after my ten hour race. It is for me, and it is for all of us who are reaching for the stars: 

"Nothing is impossible. I stand on the shore of a vast sea, my goals and dreams a shadow on the distant shore. I can hesitate, I can think that they are too lofty and too far away to attain. Or I can believe in the human spirit, and in my God who strengthens me. I take a deep breath and plunge in." 

Ed: Thanks, Susan! You're a true inspiration and role model to the multitudes who are struggling with weight issues.

From 274 Pounds to ULTRA Runner in Less Than 2 Years

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Some Fun Animal Party Menu Ideas for the Kids

!±8± Some Fun Animal Party Menu Ideas for the Kids

Just one thing that kids all seem to love is an animal or the plural, much the dismay of parents. Your kids may go on and on endlessly about how much the want a pet or a pony or a tiger or a.... well you get the idea. Of course there are quite a few reasons why you can't get the exotic ones, but is always an unwanted duty to tell a kid he can't have a cat because you'd end up taking care of him. Well, at the very least you might be able throw your kid a animal themed party. A banner or two, a few animal themed movies, some animal would all be included in a simple party. Some of the complicated things would involve some origami animals as decorations, wall scrolls, a trip to the zoo, etc.

An animal party menu can be so much fun for you and the kids. Why not start off with some party favor packages of animal crackers? While the kids are munching on those you can put together your buffet of animal themed foods. Some chicken fingers and fish sticks are fun and easy to pick up. You'll also be able to set out different zesty sauces for dipping. Chocolate Spiders are yummy and creepy, while Elephant ears are a great carnival food to have at home. Cheetos, are a cheesy snack item with a cheetah for a mascot and beef jerky can be a fun and interesting treat to try for those cow lovers. Don't forget to set out some roughage for the vegetarian animal lovers. A nice salad for the grazers is tasty and some fruits like bananas are great for the little monkeys.

Chocolate Spiders are easy to make and very yummy at your animal party. All you need is a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips and some Chow Mein noodles. Melt the chocolate chips in a sauce pan and pour in the dried noodles. Scoop out clumps to place on wax paper to cool. When cool you can serve up the chocolaty treat to your more adventurous animal lovers.

Well, however you chose to take care of the party, just remember the most important thing at the end of the party, no it's not clean up though you'll want to pick up some disposable every things for that. It's your kids renewed interest in wanting an animal all their own.

Some Fun Animal Party Menu Ideas for the Kids

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Eat More Vegetables - 12 Easy Sneaky Ways to Get More Vegetables on Your Plate

!±8± Eat More Vegetables - 12 Easy Sneaky Ways to Get More Vegetables on Your Plate

Do you get 5-12 servings of fruits and vegetables every day?

I bet you would love to get your family eating more fruits and vegetables (and yourself too!) The latest recommendation is 5 - 12 servings and I am pretty sure MOST people don't eat nearly that!

I have some really sneaky ways to hide fruit and vegetable servings!

I don't find it difficult to personally get my recommended fruits and vegetables. My house is loaded with fresh produce of all descriptions. I have fresh watermelon, honey dew melon, cantaloupe, pears, apples (red delicious and granny smith), naval oranges, tangerines, blueberries, green and red grapes, bananas, a mango, black plums, nectarines, lemons, limes, avocado... and I am probably missing something. I also have several bags of frozen fruits in the freezer (mostly berries). That's just the fruit!

I won't begin to list all the fresh vegetables I have on hand... I know I would miss a lot. Health is not, however, about what I eat today (or what my family eats today). Health is about what we eat consistently over time. Each day of getting an abundance of fresh whole fruits and vegetables adds up to the grand total that will make a difference over the entire course of your life. It will affect how you feel, how you look, how you move, how you respond to viruses, how you fight off things like cancer. It is important that you pay attention to this now. It is not too late to start eating more fruits and vegetables.

As a mom, I found a number of creative ways over the years to get extra servings of vegetables into meals and snacks. You know the obvious ways, i.e. salads, veggie side dishes, and fresh fruit snacks or desserts, but these can get boring or tedious.

Here are 12 ways to make sure you get more fruits and vegetables.

Use grated vegetables in pasta sauces - When I used a canned pasta sauce I always saute onions, garlic, fresh mushrooms, green and red peppers and add the sauce with or with out browned ground beef, but I ALSO grate several large carrots to put in. Carrots give the sauce a real fresh flavored lift and the tomato sauce disguises the carrot flavor. To this day my family does not know I put carrots in their pasta sauce. Grated vegetables are also good in meat loaf or hamburger patties. When having spaghetti, grate a zucchini or 2 lengthwise and add it to the long noodles. If you peeled it they may not even know! Mix grated vegetables (carrots, onions, into salad dressings or sour cream and use as a veggie or corn chip dip. Smoothies - Using fresh or frozen berries as a base throw in some flax seed oil, a banana, and some melon (water melon, honey dew or cantaloupe) Then for more liquid JUICE 2 large carrots per person, and 1 pear per person, to dump in the blender instead of water! Add some "super fruit" powder or "green" powder to your smoothies for added wallop. Today it's easy to find organic freeze dried acai powder, goji powder, raspberry powder or any number of high antioxidant pure fruit powders. You can even find a mix of greens and fruits... these powders dramatically increase the power of your smoothie. Semi-frozen strawberry yogurt- take a cup of frozen strawberries, 1 cup of strawberry yogurt, 2 scoops of protein powder, and 2 tablespoons on flax seed oil. Blend. Add just enough apple or orange juice (or water) so the berries blend) Pour into bowls. This is MUCH more delicious than ice cream and makes a wonderful breakfast for children who don't like to eat in the morning Make more casseroles- meatless casseroles with cheese and spices are a yummy way to load up on veggies, and their easy too! Chop. Stir. Bake. Serve. Make it accessible... Veggies always fresh chopped and in serving sizes... with meals I put the large salad out and I get out their favorite salad dressings ad open the top and set it right next to the silverware, I always have fresh home made salsa available and they will often scoop that up as a condiment or side dish. Make fresh cobblers for dessert instead of pies. Lots of fruit in a very lightly greased baking dish topped with a crumble of equal parts raw oatmeal, almond meal, shaved coconut and a tablespoon of brown sugar. Add a bit of coconut oil to make a crumbly mixture and bake at 350 until fruit is soft and bubbly. If using apples or peaches sprinkle a bit of cinnamon. Berries may require a bit of your choice of sweetener. It is very fast to do something like this up and pop it in the oven after you take the casserole out. It is ready when your meal is done! Wrap large lettuce leaves around sandwich filling instead of bread. And don't forget celery or carrot sticks spread with peanut butter. YUM!

The other night my teen age daughter actually ASKED for a vegetarian dinner. I had taken some pita breads, brushed them with olive oil and sprinkled them with garlic powder and sea salt and then baked them until lightly browned at 450 degrees. Then I served some home made salsa, a guacamole made with fresh avocado, juice of one lime, garlic clove crushed, and cilantro, and served both dips with the "chips" and some carrots, celery, cucumbers, broccoli, and cherry tomatoes. The ONLY reason she asked for this is because she LOVES the "homemade nacho chips".

My rule of thumb is.. if I am having something they aren't crazy about, I serve it with something they love!

Happy healthy eating to you, and get your 5-12 a day! Twelveliness is next to healthiness!

Eat More Vegetables - 12 Easy Sneaky Ways to Get More Vegetables on Your Plate

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Bully Sticks For Puppies

!±8± Bully Sticks For Puppies

Bully sticks (aka pizzle sticks) are actually bull penises (most dog owners probably don't like to think about this, but since their dogs love it, perhaps they pretend to forget about what they're actually made of). The penis is severed from the bull, then stretched, bleach - cleaned, dried and hardened for consumptions; the brands made for puppies vary in sizes & shapes; they can be twisted into knots, braids or rings; and the total size of a beef stick spans about 40" to 50" long. The preferred method for producing these type of dog-chews is by natural means (non-synthetic additives) so they are palatable to puppies.

Beef sticks can be relished for a longer time than a number of other dog-chews. They are durable and can literally last for weeks when chewed by smaller breed of dogs (or could be ingested by larger breeds of canine in several hours). That's pretty remarkable 'hang time' when compared to a number of other supposedly 'long-lasting' dog-chews (that can normally be consumed in just minutes). Large chew sticks are considered to be the most solid treat for canines weighing between twelve to fifteen pounds. Overall, these delectable, durable treats are readily digestible and can handle the natural chewing power of any dog, The friction against the teeth caused by the constant biting of the beef treat, also eliminates tartar - encouraging healthy gums and teeth. Most beef treats are procured from free ranging, grass-fed, naturally reared livestock. Normally ranging from small, medium to large, these dog-chews are usually packed inside a resealable bag - specially made to lock in freshness.

Bully sticks certainly are a healthier and beneficial option for puppies. For the most part, pups can securely chew beef sticks, however, if a pup is not monitored during their chewing session, they are susceptible to specific hazards: in the event that a pup swallows a whittled down piece of pizzle stick, he runs the risk of intestinal obstruction.

These dog treats are mostly protein, so it benefits growing pups in building stronger muscles; another beneficial side effect is that it facilitates the development of their joints. And for the owners too busy for playtime, beef sticks gives pups enough amusement & distraction for hours on end - without doing damage to your furniture.

There are potential risks with pizzle sticks though. If a bully stick is too rich for a puppy with a weak constitution, it may loosen his stool. Also, beef sticks that are manufactured under poor sanitary conditions (oftentimes, outside of America) run the risk of being contaminated with salmonella; contact with this bacterial agent, however brief, can lead to infection or becoming a carrier; cross-contamination with toddlers or the elderly can prove fatal (given their underdeveloped immune system).

If the risks of using bully sticks are discouraging, other healthy options are at your disposal. Rubber chew toys (preferably one that can hold treats in its hollow center) has proven to be an adequate substitution - providing just as much fun & distraction as a pizzle stick. Antler-chews are also a good choice, as they can withstand a healthy dose of punishment most pups can dish out - the only drawback being, that it could be too hard for the smaller pup (who may require teething apparatus anyway). When replacing bully sticks, it is strongly advised that you avoid cooked bones at all cost! An over-ambitious pup can easily clamp down and cause the bone to splinter, leading to bruised gums & mouth, a punctured wind pipe/ digestive tract or asphyxiation. Rock hard over-sized bones may also cause a tooth to chip.

A Vet's recommendations should prove more than helpful in picking the right bully stick for your pup.

Bully Sticks For Puppies

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